Telephone Line
by Nadine Dawson
Summary: Twenty years have come and gone. Jack is living in a place that isn't home and he has found the phone number to his one and only Rose. update:This story may have one or two more chapters please R/R
1. Chapter 1

Based on; Telephone Line by ELO

_Hello. How are you?Have you been alright, through all those lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely nightsThat's what I'd say. I'd tell you everythingIf you'd pick up that telephone_

Jack stared at the telephone. He had found her! After all those nights of reckless dreaming and searching he had found his Rose. For twenty years he had longed of hearing her voice again. Now on this August night the rain poured down the sides of the phone booth and all he had to do is pick the receiver up, but it was too hard. Too much time had passed.

_Hey. How you feelin?Are you still the same?Don't you realize the things we did, we did, were all for real, not a dream?I just can't believeThey've all faded out of view._

Jack picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. He slipped a nickel into the slot and waited for the soft hum of the dial tone. Soon enough the operator came on and asked him if he needed assistance. He slammed the receiver down. He needed to think about his next move. What was he going to say to her? "Hey, how've you been?" No that was too corny. What does one say to the only woman they ever loved? Jack rested his head on the glass and sighed. Why did it have to be this way? He walked out of the telephone booth and took a stroll down the street. He hadn't realized how late it was. In New York one could never tell without the help of a clock. The city that didn't sleep was home to him now. Although it had never felt that way. The apartment he lived in, was hardly a home the depression had taken his real home away. The nice quaint place he had built up for himself in upstate New York that used to be home. Two bedrooms, although one was all he ever used. He had built it with two rooms on the slim chance that Rose may make it back to him. Now that he had found her, he didn't even have the guts to call her. What kind of man was he?

_I look into the sky, the love you need ain't gonna see you throughAnd I wonder why the little things you planned ain't coming trueOh oh Telephone Line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight Oh oh Telephone Line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight_

Jack found himself back at the same telephone booth the next night. It was the closest one from "home" Instead of buying a nickels worth of bread and milk, he had saved it to call his one and only. He was going to do it this time, it was going to happen.

Jack slowly slipped the nickel into the slot and as though time had slowed down he punched in the number to a house somewhere in New York. He wondered who would answer the phone. Would it be Rose or someone else? Had she gotten married? Did she have babies? Jack forced himself to keep the phone to his ear.

_Ok. So no one's answeringWell can't you just let it ring a little longer longer longer oh oh ooohhhhhI'll just sit tight through shadows of the nightLet it ring for evermore oh oh ooohhhhh yeah yeah yeah_

Jack let it ring for awhile, his hopes quickly fading away as the phone rang and rang. He pulled the phone away from his ear and almost set it down when he heard a voice.

"_Hello?" _The voice at the other end was as sweet and gentle as he had remembered. _"Hello?" _She said again, it was do or die and he lifted the receiver back to his mouth.

"_Hello." _He said.

"_Who is this… Jack?" _Rose gasped into the phone, it had been twenty years but his voice was a sweet reminder of long ago.

"_How are you?" _He asked, Rose outwardly smiled that was her Jack. Always straight to the point.

"_I'm fine, how have you been?" _Jack sighed into the phone, it was all he could do not to cry.

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_A/n:_ I was listening to this song, Telephone Line by ELO and I thought what if??... and so this story was born. Whoever is reading this right now should look up Telephone Line, it's worth the listen. It's a beautiful song. I'm sorry for the bleak ending but I think it works. Please review


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Rose had barely finished telling Jack the directions to her house before he slammed down the phone and took off running. His emotions running rampant he felt like the young man on Titanic again. He didn't care if she had a husband or if her children were sleeping. He wanted to see her pretty face and he wanted her to know that he did love her, he always had. By the time Jack had nearly made it to Rose's house it started to rain a gentle summer rain which made Jack think of a poem he had recently read.

_Let the rain kiss youLet the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid dropsLet the rain sing you a lullabyThe rain makes still pools on the sidewalkThe rain makes running pools in the gutterThe rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at nightAnd I love the rain. _

He recited the poem in his head as he rapped on her door. She opened the door slowly and gave him her famous grin. He couldn't help but melt in his shoes.

"Hello Rose."

"Jack" Rose stepped towards him and grabbed his soaking wet hand. "Get in here before you catch a cold."

Jack followed Rose, the sensation of her hand on his was almost too much for him to stand. Yet she seemed distant almost as though she wasn't sure of the man she was currently getting a towel for.

Rose walked back from the linen closet to where Jack was standing.

"I may have something you can wear in the closet. If you'd like?"

"All right."

Rose motioned for Jack to follow her down the hallway and he did, Jack tried to take notice of the pictures on the wall but the lights were off in the house and the faces in the frames were blurred.

Rose opened the closet doors, Jack eyed Rose's dresses and shirts as she kept digging into the back of the closet until she found a pair of pants and shirt.

"You can wear these, they were Alan's but I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Alan?" Jack asked, he couldn't help but be curious, this was his only love and the thought of another man made him jealous.

"He was my husband, but he died in world war one."

"Oh Rose,"

"No, don't feel sorry for me, I wasn't alone when he died."

"You had children?"

"One child a boy named Thomas."

"How old is he now?"

"Twenty."

"Twenty?"

"Jack, change and I'll tell you about it all later, I don't want you getting sick now that I've finally gotten you back."

Rose walked out of the room and closed the door, with those last words she had given him some solace. So she was happy to see him, and to have him back.

Jack walked into the living room carried his wet clothes in his arms. Alan's clothes fit him well although they were slightly big on him, Jack always liked his clothes to be big on him.

"You can put those over the heat register hopefully they'll dry."

Rose poured coffee into two mugs and set them down in on the table. She sighed, they had a lot of ground to cover.

"How did you find me Jack? I've been looking for you for twenty years and yet, you find my phone number?"

"This lady at Vito's said she worked with a Rose and she started describing you, I asked her if she knew where you lived but she said she only had your phone number. I took my chances and got your number. I don't know what I would have done had it not been you."

"That is so strange. I never thought I'd see you again. I never gave up on us but I never expected something like this to happen. Twenty years is a long time to be away from each other Jack."

"I know Rose, and if it all ends after tonight I'll feel like I've fulfilled everything I've ever wanted in my life."

Rose suddenly stood and walked to the window. She rubbed the edge of her coffee cup over and over again. The storm had picked up outside and the lightening was striking every few seconds. It was a wonder the power hadn't went out.

"Jack, there have been events in my life that I never thought I'd have to explain to you. So I never thought about what I would say if I had to." Rose sat her coffee cup down on the table. And then walked over to a hutch and opened a particularly stubborn drawer. She retrieved what she was looking for and sat back down next to Jack.

Jack looked at the blue book she was holding, she opened it and showed him the first picture.

"This is your son, Thomas."

"My son?"

"Your son, he's really the best of both of us. Mostly your looks, but the attitude is definitely both of us. He lives down town and works at a loading dock. He's very strong but has a great sense for art, just like you."

Jack reached for Rose's hand but she pulled it away and flipped to another page in the book.

"Here he is with Alan at four, this was the day Alan left for Europe. The last time I ever saw him." Rose wiped the tears from her eyes, "I thought that it would be okay, that if I lost him I could move on the way I did with you. I just thought that I could go to bed at night and Tom would make me smile and that everything would be all right. I wasn't okay though, because when I lost you I had a whole new life to look forward to, without Alan I had to live the same life but find a way to cope without him." Rose started sobbing "Why does this always happen to me?"

Jack wrapped Rose in his arms and she continued to sob. "I thought you had abandoned me, and I blamed you when Alan died. I don't know why I just thought that everything bad happened because of you." Rose leaned out of Jack's embrace "I'm sorry I blamed you."

"It's not your fault you blamed me, I should have tried harder to find you, but I always believe everything happens for a reason. Especially this moment, fate has something to do with it Rose."

"I'm sure of it. If we hadn't had that moment in the bowels of a doomed ship, I wouldn't have had a reason to keep going for the last twenty years."

"I never realized that our love making would have led to a baby. I mean…" Jack smiled

"You know that is how it happens right?" Rose asked and laughed, the playful nature in their relationship was falling back into place.

"Actually I'm not sure would you like to fill me in?" Jack boyishly smiled at Rose and she laughed again, louder this time and Jack was reminded of a time long ago before the pain and the struggles of life had made them both grow up.

XXX

They filled several hours talking about little things, avoiding the big question "Are we going to stay together?"

Jack had learned all about the son he would hopefully soon be meeting. How he loved music and had a girlfriend named Maria. He learned that Rose had raised him on the premise to make each day count and Tom did exactly that.

Jack watched Rose and how she laughed, it was exactly how he remembered. Her face had a soft touch of age to it and he fell deeper and deeper in love with her.

There come a time, around one in the morning when the conversation hit a small dip, and they both relished in the silence together, they had previously moved to the sofa, where Rose was leaning on Jack's shoulder.

"Oh what are we going to do Jack?"

"About what?" Jack asked slightly dozing off and then he realized what she meant.

"What do you want to do?" he added to his question

"I don't know, I certainly don't want this to end. I can't understand how we would make it work though. We've both been alone for so long."

"Rose, it was true the first time we were together, we were both so alone and we had each other then. Now that fate has brought us together again we have to take this chance. I'm leaving it up to you Rose, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you."

Rose looked into Jack's eyes she had imagined him for twenty years saying I love you but now that he had really said it, it seemed unreal.

"I love you too." Rose said "I've waited too long to hear those words Jack. All conflicts aside I want to spend the rest of my life with you too I can't imagine it any other way."

Jack touched Rose's face and then touched her lips with his index finger before leaning over and kissing her. "Will you marry me Rose?"

"Yes, Oh Yes!" Rose squealed and kissed Jack she pulled him closer to her and leaned back so he was on top of her, for once in twenty years she felt safe, and what happened next was exactly like she had remembered and what she had longed for.

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_A/N: So that was chapter two, there will probably be about two or three more chapters if you all want them. I'm sorry for the cheesiness in that chapter. I just didn't know how to put it any other way. Thank you for reading!! Please review =] _


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